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Joystiq Holidaze: explaining the PS3 SKUs

We'd love to say picking up PlayStation 3 is as easy as going to the store and grabbing the first box with the console's name on it. For better and worse, this generation of consoles gives consumers many choices at the (potential) expense of causing confusion at the store.

So it's with this in mind that we present you this handy guide for discerning the difference between the various PlayStation 3 versions (aka SKUs) out there. Please note that the red and green coloring is not only festive decor for the holiday season but also a subjective highlight of what each version excels in (or subsequently lacks).

80GB

60GB

40GB

20GB

Hardware

Model #

CECHE01

CECHA01

CECHG01

CECHB01

Price

$499.99

$499.99*

$399.99

$499.99*

Chrome trim

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

USB 2.0 slots

4

4

2

4

802.11 b/g

Yes

Yes

Yes

No

Flash cardreader

Yes

Yes

No

No

Bundled Accessories

Ethernet cable

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Video cables

Composite

Composite

Composite

Composite

Backwards Compatibility

PlayStation 2

Software**

Yes (NTSC),Software** (PAL)

No

Yes

PS One

Yes

Yes

Yes

Yes

Notes:

* This model is discontinued. The price on the chart represents the listed price before Sony axed it.** See explanation in F.A.Q. below.

Alright, Joystiq, time to answer your own questions.

Let's do this.

Let's say I plan to buy a used PlayStation 3 without a box, how can I tell how big the hard drive is?

Unfortunately, you'll have to take the word of whoever is selling you the system. If it's GameStop or some other local used game retailer, chances are they'll let you boot it up in the store to check the listed drive space. Remember, though, that the HDD is easily upgradeable, so you may want to go ahead and buy a 2.5-inch drive and install it yourself.

Why do some systems have full backwards compatibility, some partial, and some no compatibility with PlayStation 2 titles?

You can find a more thorough explanation here, but the gist is internal hardware: the initial PlayStation 3 consoles (20GB and 60GB) shipped with the core PS2 components -- the CPU and GPU -- and as such functioned as a PS2 for emulation. Hence, full backwards compatibility.

The 80GB model (and 60GB model for PAL territories) did not include the PS2 CPU and instead had written software that relegated the Cell processor to handle CPU duties. (The GPU remained within the system.) The process isn't perfect and there are hiccups, but it does play most PS2 games.

The 40GB model eschews the PS2 hardware entirely but does not include software for emulating the GPU. Therefore, no PS2 compatibility whatsoever.

What about PlayStation One games?

PS One games are backwards compatible on all versions.

How can I determine that backwards compatibility on a used, unboxed system?

The 20GB model doesn't have the chrome trim (and also lacks a flash card reader), so you can be guaranteed backwards compatibility with that one. On the other end of the spectrum, the 40GB only has 2 USB 2.0 ports, so you can tell which model has no PS2 backwards compatibility.

If you want to get picky, however, another way to do is by checking the model number, located on the bottom of the console (see picture below). The fourth letter defines the model - for example, in the picture below, CECHG01, represents the 40GB model and therefore has no PS2 compatibility. "A" (60GB) and "B" (20GB) have full compatibility, and "E" does compatibility via software emulation.